The invention relates generally to methods of improving cardiovascular health and, more specifically, to the administration of β-cryptoxanthin to mammals in an effective dose to improve the cardiovascular health of the mammal.
Heart disease and stroke are the most common cardiovascular diseases. They are the first and third leading causes of death for both men and women in the United States, accounting for nearly 40% of all annual deaths. More than 910,000 Americans die of cardiovascular diseases each year. Although heart disease and stroke conditions are more common among people aged 65 or older, the number of sudden deaths from heart disease among people aged 15-34 has increased.
In addition, more than 70 million Americans currently live with a cardiovascular disease. Coronary heart disease is a leading cause of premature, permanent disability in the U.S. workforce. Stroke alone accounts for disability among about 1 million Americans. More than 6 million hospitalizations each year are because of cardiovascular diseases.
The economic impact of cardiovascular diseases on the nation's health care system continues to grow as the population ages. The cost of heart disease and stroke in the United States is projected to be $403 billion in 2006, including health care expenditures and lost productivity from death and disability.
There is a need, accordingly, for safe, efficacious and cost-effective treatments for preventing or ameliorating cardiovascular diseases and associated health implications.